Composite label and battery package

ABSTRACT

A battery is provided with a label made of corrosion resistant material several portions of which are severable. The portions have indicia thereon relating one portion to another portion and to the battery. One of the portions is in the form of a postcard and has a portion of its surface specially adapted to provide a suitable surface for attaching a stamp for mailing.

United States Patent [1 1 Channing et al.

1 1 COMPOSITE LABEL AND BATTERY PACKAGE [75] Inventors: Harry M. Channing, Wyomissing;

Bernard J. Elzer, West Reading, both of Pa.

[73] Assignee: General Battery Corporation,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Sept. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 286,989

[52] U.S. Cl. 206/46 BA, /2, 136/181, 136/132, 206/D1G. 29, 229/74 [51] Int. Cl... Bd 67/00, 865d /54, B65d /00 [58] Field of Search 206/46 BA, 46 R, 206/DIG. 29, 2; 229/74, 73; 40/2 R; 136/132, 181

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,070,426 2/1937 Faber 136/181.1

2,139,377 12/1938 Mull ct a1 40/2 R 2,956,101 10/1960 Buhl, .1r. 136/1111 3,298,454 H1967 Anderson et al7 136/181 3,315,386 4/1967 Kest et a1 40/2 R 3,407,781 10/1968 Ardire et a1 40/2 R Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney-Henry N. Paul, Jr. et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A battery is provided with a label made of corrosion resistant material several portions of which are severable. The portions have indicia thereon relating one portion to another portion and to the battery. One of the portions is in the form of a postcard and has a portion of its surface specially adapted to provide a suitable surface for attaching a stamp for mailing.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIEBnct 23 ms N xk x P N SHEET 1 OF 2 1.92 'or was COMPOSITE LABEL AND BATTERY PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electric storage batteries having labels thereon, and more particularly, to a battery having a composite label which includes portions which can be removed, said portions having indicia thereon relating one to the other and to the battery itself.

In the prior art it is known to attach corrosion resistant plaques to batteries of the electric storage type, which plaques are resistant to both outdoor weather conditions and the acid used in the storage batteries. It is also known to have a portion of the plaque so attachedto the battery removable, so that, for example, indicia indicating the date when the product was sold or manufactured, can be removed to indicate the term of any warranty or guarantee with respect to the product.

While it is known to provide such information directly on the battery in a corrosion resistant form, to our knowledge it is not known to attach to the label and thus to the battery, in a detachable form, both the guarantee and the means for informing the company of the sale of its product; and providing such detachable items in a corrosion resistant form.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of our invention to provide such a composite label which, in addition to the features mentioned above, has indicia thereon relating each of the parts of the label to one another and to the batteries sold. The indicia, most preferably in the form of a serial number, provides a means of relating the guarnatee to the battery. In addition, there is provided a self-addressed postcard with indicia thereon providing a form for gathering and transmitting relevant business information. Other indicia provide spaces for the attachment of other items relevant to the business transactions undertaken with these forms, such as for example, stamps and guarantee plaques.

Its an object of our invention to provide such a battery and label package which can be readily assembled and shipped in a substantially damage free condition and which will provide the seller, buyer and manufacturer of the battery with relevant business information regarding the sale.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a composite battery label shown in a form prior to installation on a battery;

FIG. 2 is a foreshortened edge view on an enlarged scale of the label shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial bottom view of the label shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view showing a label assembled on a battery forming a composite label and battery package.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although specific forms of the invention have been selected for illustration in the drawings, and the following description is drawn in specific terms for the purpose of describing these forms of the invention, this description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

The label in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 and is desig' nated generally 10. It is made of a material suitable for existence in a corrosive environment and in outdoor weather. Such materials are known in the art and comprise a plastic sheet of transparent material which will accept ink without effecting the pigments or dyes. Such plastics are readily available in the form of film or sheet such as acrylics, vinyls, polyolefins, polyamides, and the like. Such materials are disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,494,056.

As will be noted from that patent it is possible with such a material, to print on one side in reverse image whatever indicia one wishes the ultimate user to be able to read after the label has been installed on the goods. Thereafter, an adhesive backing is applied over the printed matter which comprises adhesive on both sides of a resin-impregnated protective backing paper. Then a suitable release paper 14 is applied. When the release paper 14 is removed, the label is adhered to the battery by pressing the adhesive surface down against the top of the battery.

In the present invention, we use similar materials. As shown in FIG. 2 the upper portion of the label 12 is made of a plastic sheet and the lower portion is a release paper 14 adhered to the upper portion by an ad-. hesive resin-impregnated backing paper (not shown). At the left hand end, tab 16 is provided by means of the score line 18 through the upper plastic material which does not penetrate through the lower release paper I4. The tab can be gripped and bent-downwardly when viewed as in FIG. 2 to begin the removal of the release paper 14. This paper can then be stripped off leaving an adhesive surface underneath the label 12 which can be applied directly to the upper portion of the battery. The holes 20 provide clearance for the battery ports.

Only the portion of the composite label 10 immediately beneath the paper 14 is covered with adhesive. The remaining portions have printing thereon as shown illustratively at 22, 23 in FIG. 3, which printing is not protected by an adhesive coating. These portions 24 and 26 can be removed from the battery by means of tearing along the perforated lines 28 and 30 respectively. I

A plurality of perforated lines 32, 34 serve the duel function of allowing the combined card portions 24 and 26 to be bent downwardly along the side of the battery as shown in FIG. 4 for shipment in a carton. They also permit ready removal of the cards as the cards can be torn off along any of the three lines 30, 32, 34.

The large darkened area 36 shown in FIG. 1 is a dye, paint or ink which has been applied to the plastic surface in order to provide a suitable surface for attaching a stamp, such as a United States postage stamp, in order that the card portion 24 can be mailed.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide the interested parties to the sale with relevant information with respect to the goods and the rights therein, in a form which will be usable in business transactions in which the parties may engage. In this regard, we have provided on the card 26 a space 27 in which to set forth by, for example, printing on the reverse side in reverse image, a guarantee or warranty. The printing will show through the clear plastic in correct image and will be preserved. The reverse side can be covered with a base ink or paint, and then printed with a form, as at 23, to provide a means to enter sufficient information with respect to the purchasers name, dealers name, etc. in order to make the guarantee meaningful in a business way. There is also a space provided at 38 for attachment of an adhesive backed sticker to be discussed more fully hereinafter. This surface is coated with a base paint, dye, ink or the like in order to provide a suitable surface for accepting a piece of plastic sheet with the pressure sensitive adhesive backing previously discussed.

The card 24 has the manufacturers name and address at 29 showing through the side shown in FIG. 1 so as to provide a protected self-addressed post card which can be readily mailed by placing a stamp in the dark area 36. On the back, as shown in FIG. 3 at 22, there is a printed form providing a means of gathering business information, such as the purchasers nameand address, the battery type, the date installed, the make of the car, the dealers name and street address, and the purchasers signature. The back of this card also has been covered with a suitable ink, dye, paint or the like, so that it can be written on by lead pencil or ink pen.

The plastic adhesive backed portion which fits on top of the battery includes a stripable portion 40. The socre lines 42 provide a means for easily removing the portion 40. Within the confines of these score lines are a plurality of circular areas such as at 44 each of which has printed therein an abbreviation for a month of the year (all twelve months are represented) or a number, such as, from 72 through 75 indicating a year. There is also a statement on the portion directing the user to lift out the circular area for the month and year of purchase of the battery. Each of the circular areas have score lines about them so that it is readily possible by means of using a finger nail to pull out the circular area and remove it. U. S. Pat. No. 3,315,386 shows a representative prior art label.

The stripable portion 40, the label which will remain on the battery, the card 24 and the guarantee 26 are all marked with a serial number, such as 267, providing indicia to relate each to the other and to the battery.

In use, a battery manufacturer having a supply of labels, (as shown in FIG. 1) strips off the backing 14 by means of the tab 16 and applies the label to the top of a battery. He then folds down the two cards as shown in FIG. 4 and places the battery in a carton and ships it. The merchant who receives the battery removes both cards at the time of the sale. He also lifts out the month and year of purchase from the stripable portion 40 on the top of the battery. The buyer fills out the back of the cards, places a stamp in the area (36) indicated, removes the guarantee 26 and mails the card 24.

In the event that any future claim is made on the guarantee, the stripable portion 40 can be removed and placed on the area (38) on the guarantee or transferred to the battery dealer and thence to the manufacturer for reimbursement. Thus there is provided a permanent means of recording and relating relevant information with respect to the battery and the rights involved in it between all the parties involved in the manufacturer, sale and ownership of the battery. I

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangement of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

It will further be understood that the Abstract of the Disclosure set forth above is intended to provide a non-legal technical statement of the contents of the disclosure in compliance with the Rules of Practice of the United States Patent Office, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention described and claimed herein.

.What is claimed:

1. A battery package, comprising: a battery; and a label made of a plastic sheet of synthetic resinous material, said label having printing on one surface thereof and a protective coating over the printing which is comprised of an adhesive material, said adhesive material joining said label to said battery said label being positioned with respect to said battery so that a portion of said label extends beyond the periphery of the surface of the battery upon which the label is attached; said portion having score lines permitting said label to be folded therealong and separated; said label having indicia thereon relating the separable portions to one another and to the battery.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the separable portion extending beyond the battery has a material on the plastic surface thereof permitting attachment of an adhesive stamp.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the separable portion extending beyond the battery comprises two portions separable from one another along a score line; and the material permitting attachment of an adhesive stamp is on one of said last mentioned separable portions.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of score lines are provided between the separable portions permitting said label to be folded therealong and separated.

5. The invention of claim 1 whereinsaid indicia are disposed on both sides of said label.

6. The invention of claim 3 wherein said indicia are disposed on both sides of both portions of the portion of the label which extends beyond the periphery of the surface of the battery.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the portion of the label attached to the battery has score lines delineating a severable portion.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said indicia is on said last mentioned severable portion as well as the portion of the label attached to the battery. 

1. A battery package, comprising: a battery; and a label made of a plastic sheet of synthetic resinous material, said label having printing on one surface thereof and a protective coating over the printing which is comprised of an adhesive material, said adhesive matErial joining said label to said battery, said label being positioned with respect to said battery so that a portion of said label extends beyond the periphery of the surface of the battery upon which the label is attached; said portion having score lines permitting said label to be folded therealong and separated; said label having indicia thereon relating the separable portions to one another and to the battery.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the separable portion extending beyond the battery has a material on the plastic surface thereof permitting attachment of an adhesive stamp.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the separable portion extending beyond the battery comprises two portions separable from one another along a score line; and the material permitting attachment of an adhesive stamp is on one of said last mentioned separable portions.
 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of score lines are provided between the separable portions permitting said label to be folded therealong and separated.
 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said indicia are disposed on both sides of said label.
 6. The invention of claim 3 wherein said indicia are disposed on both sides of both portions of the portion of the label which extends beyond the periphery of the surface of the battery.
 7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the portion of the label attached to the battery has score lines delineating a severable portion.
 8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said indicia is on said last mentioned severable portion as well as the portion of the label attached to the battery. 